The present invention relates to a system for encouraging the return of shopping carts to a holding pen and in particular to a detecting circuit device for determining when a shopping cart is returned to the pen from outside the pen.
Retail stores, particularly supermarkets, are plagued by the problem of shoppers removing shopping carts from the store premises without returning them. As a result it has heretofore been proposed to offer a reward to customers for returning carts to a holding pen. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,165,189; 3,283,868; 3,754,630; 3,837,455; 3,882,982; 3,897,863; 3,938,638; 3,978,959, French Pat. Nos. 2,485,232 and 2,465,279 and German Pat. No. 2,900,637. With such a reward system it is important to determine if a used cart is truly being returned to the holding pen or if someone is merely removing a cart from the pen for the purpose of returning the cart to the pen so as to claim the reward.
In view of the above, it is a principle object of the present invention to provide a system utilizing a simplified circuit for detecting the return of a shopping cart to a cart holding pen.
A further object is to provide such a system which is suitable for interior and/or exterior installation.
A still further object is to provide such a system which utilizes a detecting device that is totally passive with respect to the shopping carts in that it requires no contact with the shopping carts and requires no modification to the carts.
Still another object is to provide such a system which detects attempts to trigger false rewards by determining the direction of carts past the sensing device.
Still another object is to provide such a system and detecting device which requires a minimum of supervision and maintenance by store personnel.